Steam - The Definitive Gaming Platform9177118
Gaming has redefined itself constantly more than the years, pushing boundaries by no means thought possible - Not just technically, but socially, economically and even spiritually.
Pc gaming has usually been at the forefront of such advancement, though lately our beloved platform of option has been often overlooked in favour of a more casual gaming audience - That of the common Console owner. Don't get me incorrect, consoles are great in what they can achieve and also have their fair share of enthusiast titles. The underlining problem is that the core gaming market is made primarily of casual gamers or the media's perception of what defines a core gamer. Nintendo's wii is a testament to how well-liked casual gaming has turn out to be.
Blizzard have been in a position to capitalise on the Pc as the premier MMORPG platform for its WOW franchise. Making full use of a PC's capability to establish multiple social networking services to compliment a game has definitely helped make WOW a huge achievement. Real Time Strategy and to some extent, First Person Shooters are still both premier Computer gaming examples, although the advantage the Computer Gamer has in these areas is gradually evaporating.
Taking MMORPG's out of the image, the state of Pc gaming is at a bit of a crossroads. Console Port following port, Infinite versions of The Sims, Poor retail sales for big Pc Franchises, It all appears rather ominous. Or does it?
Valve on numerous occasions have publicly embraced the Pc as their platform of option. Pushing the boundaries of modern gaming and gaining acceptance in the enthusiast neighborhood has not always been an easy job.* Early implementations of Steam were met with fierce opposition. People by their extremely nature do not like change, I am just glad Valve were persistent, pushing previous the various bugs, poor press and competition, creating the Steam platform as it is today.
First we require to establish what Steam is in the first place. Valve defines Steam as the Nexus of Pc Gaming, and they are most likely right. Absolutely nothing comes close in terms of functionality, appeal and usefulness to Computer gamers.
Merely put, Steam is an advanced digital distribution platform which allows gamers to download games, play on-line, produce and participate in multiple distinctive gaming communities all with the ability to auto update itself and any Steam supported game you have.
The seminal update ability and the way it has been implemented by Valve is probably the most unique and evolutionary aspect of the Steam platform. The Source engine has been able to continually evolve, powering games such as Team Fortress 2: A ideal example of how a game can be influenced by the gaming neighborhood and continue to grow beyond the original implementation. This is all thanks to the Steam concept and the hardware it runs on.
